


Two Sides of the Same Coin

by dancerinthedark101



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Gen, Post Season/Series 02, Season/Series 02 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-11-28 20:16:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancerinthedark101/pseuds/dancerinthedark101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place immediately after the conclusion of Season 2. Hal's a sleeper agent, Anne's pregnant and the Second Mass just witnessed a new wave of aliens descend upon the planet. What do they want? And more importantly, whose side are they on?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

 

**Prologue**

Tom stared into the black, soulless eyes of the alien standing before them. The rain continued to pour down, battering their bodies with continuous pellets of the cold water. He held his weapon tightly, pointing it at the alien. He could feel the tension radiating off those around him, all of them wondering the same thing.

What the hell was it? And why had it arrived now?

Shifting his position slightly, Tom continued to stare at the alien. It was covered in heavy-duty armour, the strange bat-like things sticking up from its back making it a very formidable looking adversary.

It was a stale-mate. The alien wasn't moving. It was just staring at them with those small, beady eyes. And as long as the alien made no movement, those gathered weren't going to move either. Looking out of the corner of his eye, Tom caught Weaver's gaze.

Tom nodded slightly as he saw the look in the captain's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, only to freeze as the alien's eyes narrowed dangerously. Seconds later, the alien's hand shot out and a vibrant blue and white light shot from a contraption on its wrist, hurtling straight towards them.

"No-" he started to yell out, attempt to dissuade the alien from whatever it was doing. It was futile. The bolt of energy raced towards them. It passed right by Tom and while Tom tried to comprehend what had just happened, a heart-wrenching scream ripped through the stormy sky.

Ben.

Tom whipped around, only to stop short, his mouth dropping open in horror.

The bolt of lightning type energy had wrapped around Ben like a rope; starting at the base of his neck and curling around his body tightly until it stopped just below his hips. The vibrant blue rope pulsated with energy, white sparks shooting through the length of it like lightning.

Ben screamed again, his voice hitching at the end. His eyes were screwed shut in pain as the electricity raced through his system. He'd dropped his gun and it was now lying on the ground, useless. Ben's chest was heaving as another bolt shot through him. His eyes opened wide and he gasped for breath as the pain seemed to abate a little.

Turning away from seeing his son in agony, Tom glared at the alien.

"Stop it!" he yelled over the thunder booming and Ben's screams. "Let him go!"

His words did nothing. The alien ignored him. Tom could only watch on in terror as the alien held out its hand and another lightning rope appeared, shooting straight for the incapacitated Ben. The rope latched on to his son's writhing body before the alien yanked his hand back and the crackling rope started to shorten, dragging his son towards the red-skinned alien.

Ben was on the verge of unconsciousness. His head fell forward, lolling to the sides before his chin came to rest onto the right side of his collar bone. His eyes were closed and it was only seconds before his legs buckled and he hit the ground.

"BEN!"

The alien continued to drag the unconscious teen towards itself, paying no heed to the multitude of guns now trained on it.

"Let… Him… Go…" Tom grit out as his finger tightened on the trigger of his gun.

_He is the enemy. He must die._

Tom flinched at the voice inside his head. What the hell? He looked around at everyone else gathered to see if any of them had heard anything.

"What the hell do you want!?" he called out, eyes darting to the inert form of his son lying on the wet ground.

_He is the enemy. He must die._

"What the?" Weaver muttered. Tom looked to the captain and saw the normally stoic man's eyes widening. "Did anyone else hear that?" Several other murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd. So this new breed of alien could communicate through their minds? Was this what it had been like with Ben and the Skitters?

"Who is the enemy? Who must die?" Tom asked even though in the back of his mind he knew exactly what the answer would be.

_He is the enemy and he MUST die._ The alien lifted a finger and pointed to the unconscious Ben.

"My son is not the enemy!"

_He possesses the harness. He is the enemy._

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Tom gasped as he realised. This alien was the enemy of the Skitters… They were the enemy of the plague that had decimated their world.  
The old saying came to mind…

The enemy of our enemy is our friend…

Did that make this alien their ally?

Staring at his unconscious son lying on the ground near the alien's feet, Tom didn't know what to think.


	2. This Isn't Over

 

_Tom didn't know what to think as he stared at his unconscious son lying on the ground near the alien's feet._

Hearing the sound of a weapon being checked, Tom tore his gaze away from his unconscious son to that of the rest of the Second Mass gathered around. They were all still standing very still, their gazes trained on the new alien standing above Ben. Weaver,however, had his eyes on his weapon as he checked the mag before clipping it back into place.

The captain locked eyes with him when he looked back up. "What do you want to do, Tom?" he asked, his voice lowered.

"I have to get Ben away from it."

Said boy was still lying at the alien's feet, the strange electrical rope wrapped tightly around his torso. The rope itself was glowing with a blue and white light, but there didn't seem to be any sparks zipping around the cord.

Several of the soldiers behind them shuffled in the torrential rain. Tom wiped a hand across his face as several large drops fell from his saturated hair and into his eyes. They were all going to get sick if they stayed out here much longer.

But they couldn't leave. The red-skinned alien was standing very still before them, gazing around with its souless eyes. Tom braced himself and quickly whipped up his weapon into a firing position as the alien lifted a hand.

"Oh, for fuck sake! Just shoot the fucker!" a loud, obnoxious voice called out from behind them. Tom grimaced as he recognized the tone. It was Pope. At Pope's exclamation, the alien stiffened and turned its head so fast Tom swore he heard something crack. The alien glared in Pope's general direction before returning its attention to the device on its wrist.

"Make no sudden movements, or we  _will_ open fire!" Weaver shouted over the increasing rain. The alien paid no attention to the captain's words. It pressed what looked like a button on the device on its wrist. There was a sudden crack and the pulsing rope wrapped around Ben lost all colour and started unwinding. It slid over the damp ground and coiled back into the device on the alien's wrist, which it had still been attached to.

Frowning at the sudden turn of events, Tom shifted his grip on the gun in his hands and waited to see what was going to happen next. He blinked as more rain water slid from his hair and into his eyes and Tom fought the urge to take one hand off his weapon and wipe away the annoyance.

As they watched on, the alien moved. It bent down and leant over the unconscious Ben. Tom felt his heart jump into his throat and didn't realise he had started to move forward until a hand gripped his upper arm to halt his movement.

It was Anne. She shook her head slowly, indicating that she didn't think it was a good idea for him to confront the new alien. Tom took in a shuddering breath as he weighed his options. Every fibre of his being wanted to shoot the alien and grab his son, but there would be no telling what would happen if he did.

So far, the red-skinned alien had done nothing to harm them in any way, having only attacked Ben, and Tom had a theory as to why that had happened. It didn't make it any easier though. Ben was his son; he was part of the Second Mass too. His son was still human, despite what several others had said about him.

"Tom…" Weaver muttered as Tom inched forward. "I know you want to get Ben out of there, but do you have a plan? Because I sure as hell don't."

Tom didn't answer. Weaver was right. They had to have a plan. Rushing in and being reckless would just get them all killed, and it definitely wouldn't be doing Ben any favours.

"What the hell is it doing?" The father of three gasped as the alien grabbed his son's chin and yanked his head upwards. They stayed in that position for several moments, before his son was dropped unmercifully back to the ground, his head smacking painfully against the concrete.

 _"_ _I will spare the Harnessed One… for now._ _"_ Harnessed One? Tom was worried. It was obviously talking about Ben. But what did it mean 'for now'? Tom's mind was a mess. His emotions were all over the place; with Hal and Ben unconscious and the recently discovered knowledge that he was going to be a father again, he could barely think straight.

The father of three gaped as the alien turned around, its back now facing them. No one seemed to be able to move as they all watched the alien step back into the pod. The door closed shut with a hiss and the vibrant light that had been filtering from the small space inside the pod vanished. Several blue lights lit up on the outside of the pod and moments later, the sound of some kind of propulsion system could be heard firing up.

The pod – with the red-skinned alien inside – shot off into the sky, leaving the Second Mass in complete darkness and confused as hell.

They stood there for several seconds in shock, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Tom felt Anne's hand slip from his arm and in seconds he had dropped his gun and was racing over to where Ben lay.

"Ben!" He grabbed his son's chin, eerily similar to how the alien had done only moments before. "Ben!" he called, shaking his teenage son in an attempt to wake him. When there was no response, Tom snuck one arm underneath his shoulders and the other under his knees and lifted Ben off the ground. Ben's head lolled to the side, his eyes still closed and mouth slack.

"Let's get him inside, out of the rain and I'll take a look at him," Anne spoke. Grateful that someone else had decided on a course of action, Tom nodded in confirmation.

Pulling Ben closer, Tom followed Weaver, Anne and the others back into the new Charleston.

"Dad!" It was Matt. Tom faltered, glancing quickly at Ben's pale face before turning to see Matt racing towards them. His youngest son stopped short when he saw his brother lying unconscious in his father's arms.

"W-what happened?" he stammered. "Why's Ben unconscious? Is he okay? What happened!?" he repeated, his breathing starting to speed up.

"I'll explain in a minute, okay Matt? I've just gotta get your brother to Dr. Glass so that she can take a look at him."

"B-but…"

Tom cut his youngest son off. "I'm sorry Matt. As soon as I've got your brother sorted, we'll have a talk." He sent a small smile in Matt's direction before striding off towards the hospital area, Ben still unconscious in his arms.

The scene was very familiar, Tom thought as he stared at Anne before him. She had removed Ben's shirts and jeans, leaving the young boy in just his underwear and was doing a thorough examination of him. She'd done the exact same thing for his oldest son not an hour before.

Staring at Ben's body, the father couldn't help but gasp as he saw the state of his middle son. There were bruises and cuts littered all over his torso. None of them looked very serious, but it was shocking all the same. What had happened to Ben in that time he had been on his own?

"How's he doing?"

Tom turned to see Weaver standing in the doorway.

"He's doing okay, I guess," he looked back to Anne and Ben. Anne was currently hooking up an oxygen machine and sliding a mask over his face. Tom was immediately alarmed.

"Why does he need that?" he asked. Anne didn't look up as he answered, instead focusing on the patient lying on the bed.

"It's just a precaution. We don't know what that electricity did to his body, especially his lungs. If his lungs were damaged in any way, the oxygen will help. And even if they aren't, his body did go through an extreme shock, so this will help."

That made him feel somewhat better. "You don't know what it did?"

She shook her head. "I haven't gone far in my initial examination, but from what I've seen, it just looks like he's been electrocuted. But I don't want to take any chances, so I'll keep on working. Why don't you go check on Hal? And I know Matt is worried."

"But Ben…"

"Go." Anne didn't leave any room for an argument. "I know you're worried about Ben, but you've got another son unconscious as well and Matt now has two brothers who are essentially in hospital; it must be taking its toll on him too."

Tom couldn't bring himself to argue. She was right. Hal was also unconscious in another room, and he had promised Matt that they would talk. Weaver was still standing behind him, which Tom realised when he turned to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, Dan, but I've got to talk to Matt. I know there are a lot of things that we need to discuss, but give me half an hour, please…"

Weaver nodded. "Of course, Tom. You tend to your sons. I'll be in my allocated room. When you're ready, gather up Maggie, Anthony, Pope and Dai–" He cut himself off as he realised what he had said.

Tom bowed his head at the mention of the dead man; Dai had been an excellent fighter, and a great friend. His death would hit everyone hard. They'd lost too many over the past few months… Uncle Scott, Rick, Jimmy, Jamil, and now Dai…

After taking a few moments to compose himself, Weaver continued. "As I was saying – gather Maggie, Anthony, Pope and Tector and meet me in my room. We need to sort out a course of action and tend to… funeral arrangements."

Weaver stood aside and Tom nodded as he moved out of the room, heading towards where he knew his youngest son would be.

* * *

_He grinned as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes darkened maliciously. The first stage of his plan had been achieved. There would be no stopping them now. They would be victorious. Tom Mason and his merry men would be obliterated… by the last person they would_ _ever_ _have imagined._

Hal groaned, a hand immediately snaking up to press against the spot on his head where the pain originated from. He blinked, bringing the world into focus. He was lying on the floor in a spacious, sparsely decorated room. A bed was situated right beside him, the sheets all rumpled and falling over the side. Had he fallen off the bed?

He moaned again, pushing himself into a sitting position. Where the hell was he? What had happened? The last thing he remembered…

Karen!

They'd been in a room that Ben had taken them to, a huge weapon of sorts built in the middle and pointing towards the sky. Skitters had attacked and they'd been captured. Karen had kissed him… and that's all he remembered.

Dai…

The older man had been killed in the attack.

"Oh my god…" Hal whispered. He closed his eyes, thinking of the fallen fighter. They'd been close. "No…"

He bent over, breath shuddering as he tried to compose himself. He was fighting back the tears when the sound of the door opening ripped through his thoughts.

"Hal!?"

He looked up through red-rimmed eyes to see Maggie standing in the doorway, her mouth open in shock. "Oh my god, Hal, you'reawake!"

The older woman rushed in and pulled him into a hug, which was slightly awkward, as he was still sitting on the ground. Her grip tightened around him as she mumbled something into his neck. Hal returned the embrace. His eyes flashed.

_Smelling the scent of the woman, he smirked. This could be used to their advantage. An emotional attachment was always good leverage…_

"Hal?"

Hal looked up at Maggie. She'd pulled out of the embrace and was now staring at him, concerned.

"Maggie?" he echoed her tone, grinning as he spoke. She visibly relaxed at his teasing.

"You're okay…" A pause. "C'mon, let's get you off the floor, huh? There are a lot of people who would love to see that you're okay. You had everyone worried."

"What happened? I don't… I don't really remember much. The last thing I know was that… uh…  _she_ kissed me…"

Hal found it cute that Maggie's hackles rose when the kiss was mentioned. Cute.

The blonde woman took in a deep breath, helping Hal to his feet where he swayed unsteadily. He took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the bed, the world still slowly spinning around him.

"You remember everything up to  _that_?"

Hal nodded.

"Anne said that it was quick. He wouldn't have felt a thing…" Hal knew exactly what Maggie was talking about and he was grateful that she had decided to forgo using his name. It was still all too fresh.

"After you collapsed, the rebel Skitters arrived and we managed to get free. Red-Eye was killed, but Tom managed to kill the Overlord. Karen got away," Maggie saw the questioning in his eyes. "We all got back safe, including Ben."

Hal sighed. At least his brother was okay. He had been a little worried going in, as he'd only just got him back and there was no telling what his connection with the Skitters would have done to him being so close to the Overlord and its cronies.

"So there was only one fatality?"

"Yeah…"

Hal frowned. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Maggie sighed. "A little while after we got back, the earth started to shake. Everyone thought it was an earthquake or something."

"It wasn't," Hal surmised.

Maggie shook her head, her blonde hair fanning out over her shoulders. "No, it wasn't. Most of us went outside and saw… well, there were  _hundreds_ of glowing blue lights that were falling from the sky. One landed near us. It was a pod."

"A pod? Maggie what happened?" He was getting worried now. Pods falling from the sky? A horrible thought occurred to him. "It wasn't another wave of attack was it?"

"It was another species of alien…"

Eyes widening, Hal froze.  _What?_ _Another_  species of alien?

"The one we saw was dressed in black armour and had a funny wing thing on its back. Its skin was kinda red," she whispered, dreading what she was going to have tell him next.

"It attacked Ben," she revealed. Without giving Hal any time to respond, she continued. "It wrapped some kind of lightning rope around him and electrocuted him. It said something about him being the enemy and that he had to die."

"What?!" Hal breathed. "Ben was electrocuted by this alien!? Is he okay? Where is the alien now? What the hell is going on!?"

Maggie lowered her head. "Dr. Glass is looking at Ben now. The alien is gone. After letting Ben go, it took off." She looked up, her bottom lip trembling a little. "I don't know what's going on, Hal. Everything's in chaos. No one knows what's gonna happen now…"

She leaned over and embraced him again. His girlfriend was extremely close to tears, which was not a position Maggie was in very often. "I don't know either Maggie…

_But what I do know is that even with that blasted race showing up and with our main weapon gone, this war is not over. We will win, no matter what. Tom Mason and the Second Massachusetts will be destroyed, even if it has to be done one person at a time and the Earth will be ours._

Maggie never noticed that Hal's eyes darkened maliciously and an evil smirk decorated his lips.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's the first chapter! Thanks for all the hits and the one subscribe. Hope you like this chapter.


	3. Chapter 2: Time is Precious

 

Ben slowly swam into the realm of consciousness. He attempted to pry his eyes open several times before they obliged and he was assaulted with a harsh, white light. Screwing his eyes closed again, Ben tried to sift through all the information swirling around in his brain.

He was lying on something soft, his head also resting on something incredibly comfortable. There was a strange stinging sensation coming from his right hand and something was resting over his nose and mouth. It was rather annoying.

Lifting a hand sluggishly, he attempted to swat at whatever was on his face, only to have someone grab his arm and slowly bring it back down to rest beside his body. Ben opened his eyes a slit, revelling in the fact he was able to. He peered around and saw that he was lying on a bed. There was a needle inserted into the back of his right hand, a clear tube snaking over his arm and disappearing behind his head.

"Ben?"

He shifted on the bed, feeling the stiffness of his body at the movement. Hearing the voice, he turned his head to the right, a weak smile gracing his lips as he saw his dad sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"Dad?" he croaked out, wincing at how weak his voice was. "Wha?"

"Shhh," his dad said, leaning forward and gripping Ben's lax right hand with his own. "You've been through one hell of an ordeal kiddo. Just relax."

"The alien…" He ignored his dad. What he was going to say was cut short as he began to cough. It felt like an iron band was tightening around his chest as he fought for breath. What he now realised was that the oxygen mask wasn't helping at all.

"Shhhh," his dad repeated as he lifted him into a half leaning, half sitting position and began to rub circles on his back, careful to avoid the spikes piercing through the skin.

Ben continued to cough, struggling to inhale even with the mask covering his mouth. What seemed like an eternity later, the coughing eased and he was finally able to breathe again. His dad started to lower him back onto the bed, but Ben protested.

"No… please. I can't breathe when I lie like that," he rasped. After a few seconds of contemplation, his dad reached behind him and fluffed his pillows, before adding a few more. He was gently pushed back into the soft pillows. Sighing in relief at the fact the iron band around his chest was still at bay, Ben closed his eyes and relished in the pure oxygen filtering into his lungs.

"Tom?"

Anne Glass entered the small cubicle, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her. "Ben, you're awake…"

"Hi, Dr. Glass." He winced at how rough the words sounded. Even muffled through the oxygen mask, Ben could tell he sounded like crap.

The next few minutes comprised of Ben being told to lie still while Anne took his pulse, heart rate and performed several other tests. By the time she was done, Ben could feel the exhaustion beginning to wash over him like a tidal wave. He fought against it, shaking his head and blinking several times and attempted to sit up straighter.

"Apart from a little wheeziness in his lungs," Anne was saying, "he seems in perfect health. I would say that the shock from the electricity combined with the rain that acted as a conductorcaused his lungs to seize up a little, which has come out in asthma-like symptoms. It should clear up given time."

"Dad? Hal?" Ben asked as he remembered what had happened to his older brother. Hal had still been unconscious when the other aliens had arrived.

His dad smiled. "Hal's fine." Ben sunk back into the pillows in relief as Tom carried on. "He woke up late last night. Anne checked him over and there seems to be no lasting damage."

"What…" Ben began, unsure of how to ask. "What… about Dai?" His voice was low, barely able to be heard through the plastic oxygen mask. He lowered his eyes as he spoke, feeling guilty for the man's death.  _He'd_ been the one to lead everyone to the weapon, and  _he_ hadn't been able to warn anyone about the Skitter attack until it was too late. And Dai had died as a result of his incompetence.

Tom sighed wearily, his eyes closing briefly as Dai's image appeared in his mind. "There's going to be a service later on today. We're going to bury him in the burial area the New Charleston government has decided upon. It's in a grassy verge near the entrance to the Tunnel."

The Tunnel was the ramp that cars would have driven down to the underground parking. It was one of the only safe (and guarded) entrances to the mall and subsequent New Charleston underground city.

"I want to go."

"What?" was the surprised reply. "Ben, you just woke up! It's been decided that despite the storm, the service will be outside and I don't want you out there in this weather!"

"But Dad!" Ben complained. Dai had been his friend, and he wanted to say goodbye. "I just want to be there for the service. He… he was a friend, okay? You gotta let me go-"

He broke off as another coughing fit started. Ben leant forward, breathing heavily into the mask that was providing the much-needed oxygen. Worst timing ever…

After the fit has subsided, Ben glanced up to his father, tears brimming in his eyes partly because of the force of the fit, but partly because of Dai…

"Please, Dad… Just for a little bit. I promise I'll come back if I feel worse."

After a lengthy pause, his father spoke. "…Alright. But  _only_ if you're off the oxygen by the time the service starts, and you  _promise_ that you'll come back if you feel worse!"

"I promise," he whispered.

It was then that the door swept open and Hal and Matt piled in, smiling. Ben grinned as he saw his brothers, especially Hal. He was glad that his older brother was okay.

Little did they know that in the next few days everything would change again…

* * *

_Everything will slip away_

_Shattered pieces will remain_

_When memories fade into emptiness_

_Only time will tell its tale_

_If it all has been in vain_

It was still raining. Large droplets of cold water fell from the sky in torrents, soaking the earth as well as the inhabitants crazy enough to venture out into the downpour. Lightning ripped through the clouds, the flashes illuminating the destroyed skyline of Charleston. It was closely followed by the boom of thunder which shook the ground with the sheer force of the explosion of sound.

Tom Mason stood in the midst of the raging storm – along with over a hundred others. They were all soaked to the bone, shivering, and their lips turning a frightful shade of blue. But none of them made a move to scurry back to the warm, dry comforts of the underground mall that served as the New Charleston.

Men, women and children alike stood together, heads bowed and their eyes closed. Not a sound came from the hundreds of people, the only noise being that of the storm raging above their heads.

Before them was a crudely made wooden box, shaped like a coffin. Inside lay one of the finest men Tom had had the pleasure of knowing; had the honour of fighting next to.

Dai…

Captain Weaver stood at the front of the group, his head also bowed in respect for the fallen soldier and comrade. His hands were clasped together in a tight grip, looking something like a distorted version of the international prayer sign. He was still wearing his cap.

Tom didn't know why that seemed so symbolic - it was only a cap - but it did. The father of three knew the man was riddled with guilt – that he hadn't been able to save the man from death. Tom had attempted to speak to the captain about it. He had been brushed off.

Looking beside him, Tom locked eyes with his three sons. Ben had woken early that morning after being unconscious for almost twelve hours. He hadn't wanted him out in the rain, but the teen had persisted. As soon as the funeral was over, he was heading back to the medical ward. Ben had his arms wrapped around Matt, protecting his younger brother from the worst of the onslaught of rain. Tom couldn't help but smile weakly at the sign of brotherly love. Ben really did watch out for his younger sibling.

Hal was standing on the other side of him. The eldest of his boys had woken the night before. After being checked out by Anne, he had been declared healthy and only ordered to take some painkillers for the headache that had come on suddenly. Anne was still going to keep an eye on him though, just in case.

Breaking out of his thoughts, Tom looked back to where Weaver was standing. Several loud booms of thunder shook the sky, creating a symphony of chaos that seemed to be unending. The rain started to drop faster and harder; the wind picking up and throwing around whatever it could pick up in its clutches.

Over the noise of the thunder and wind, Captain Weaver began to speak.

"Dai was one of the finest men I had the pleasure of knowing." He had to shout to be heard over the storm. "He was an excellent soldier, a loyal man and a great friend. He always did what needed to be done without complaint and there was never a moment that I was in doubt of his abilities." Weaver paused. "One of the only good things to come out of this mess with the aliens is that I've had the pleasure and honour of meeting some of the finest men and women this planet has to offer. Before the invasion, Dai had been a manager of a jewellery store… He stepped up to the task of being one of the Second Mass's soldiers and became one of the best damn fighters I had the honour of serving with."

Weaver stopped as the storm hit a crescendo, the noise too loud to be heard over. Several people ducked and cried out, fearing the worst.

"Dai will be sorely missed. And I repeat what I said earlier. He was an excellent soldier, a loyal man and a great friend…"The rain continued to pour.

"But we must carry on. We will always have the memories of Dai, and all the others that have fallen in this terrible time. I am positive that all of them would likeus to continue on; to continue fighting! We may have been dealt another setback," Tom immediately thought of the new species of alien. "But we will persevere! We will fight inmemory of all those lost, and with the thought of all those we want to save!"

"Dad?"

Tom was torn away from Weaver's heart-wrenching-turned-inspirational speech as his youngest son tugged on his jacket. Tom bent down slightly and leaned closer to his son, who was still wrapped in his older brother's arms.

"What is it, Matt?"

"Am I going to die too?" Oh how the childlike innocence came to the forefront of the human mind when faced with tragedy. It made Tom realise how young his son really was.

Tom was taken aback at the blunt question. He opened his mouth to answer, but was beaten to it.

"No, of course not doofus."

Ben…

His middle child smiled weakly when Tom locked eyes with him.

"How are you gonna die when you've got me, Dad, Hal, Weaver, and everyone else to protect you? Don't worry little bro, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. Don't you worry."

It was then that Tom noticed something off about Ben. It took a few seconds for his brain to figure out what it was and he mentally kicked himself.

Ben was alarmingly pale, his dark blonde hair plastered to his head with water dripping from the darkened strands and down his face. His breathing was off slightly, but that wasn't what was worrying Tom. His middle child's sculpted cheeks were flushed red with fever.

Tom reached over and placed a freezing hand on Ben's forehead, but due to the sheer coldness of his own hands, he couldn't tell whether his son felt warm or not.

"Ben, go back inside. Take Matt with you," he ordered.

The teenager's face contorted into an expression of confusion and pinched with anger. "What? Why? I want to say goodbye to Dai!"

"Ben, don't argue with me! You promised me that if you felt worse you'd go back. Now I can tell that you don't feel well and you've been able to say goodbye, so please… pease just go back inside."

His son opened his mouth to argue, but Tom was having none of it. "Matt," he addressed his youngest. "Take Ben back and tell Anne that I want her to take another look at him, okay?"

In truth, Tom should have listened to his partner in the first place. She'd pleaded with him not to let Ben out in the rain to go to Dai's service. She wasn't going herself as she didn't want to get sick, especially with the baby.

Grumbling under his breath, Ben shook his arm out of Matt's grip and stalked out of the huddled group. Several people turned to watch the formerly harnessed boy go, followed quickly by his younger brother. Tom saw them disappear into the tunnel before turning his attention back to the service. Weaver was still shouting above the wild storm above them and Tom could barely hear a word he was saying.

The rain had calmed a little by now. It was still falling, but not as heavy, and the droplets were smaller. Another bolt of lightning rippled across the sky, illuminating the area with its brilliant light.

"Tom?" The father of three was snapped out of his musings. Weaver was standing at the front of the group, staring in his direction. It was obvious by the look on the captain's face that he had just asked him a question.

"Sorry, what?" Tom asked.

"Would you like to say a few words?"Tom didn't have to think twice. Of course he would love to honour the memory of a great friend. He nodded, before beginning to move forward, the crowd parting slightly to let him through.

Reaching Weaver's position, Tom turned to look at everyone gathered. Even though the storm was horrendous, everyone still decided to brave it and say a final goodbye to a well-respected and liked friend. It really made you value those good people still left in the dystopian world they were left in.

Tom cleared his throat before beginning to speak.

"Like Captain Weaver said before, Dai was an excellent soldier and friend. He really was one of a kind. He came from no military or police background, but was able to pick up everything extremely quickly. He was reliable, a quick thinker and got on with virtually everyone he ever met. He was a great asset to the Second Mass and I know his presence will be sorely missed by everyone."

He paused, taking in a shuddering breath as he remembered his fallen friend.

"There's not a lot to say that hasn't already been said and I'm sure no one wants to be out in this weather much longer." He turned his gaze to the casket that lay in the middle of the circle of people. Someone had draped an American flag over the wood. "Goodbye my good friend. You will be missed."

He turned back to the crowd. "A minute of silence in respect for another of our fallen comrades…"

So they stood, as the sky fell in raindrops around them – the remaining Second Massachusetts Militia Group (and several from New Charleston) remembering the latest fallen comrade in the fight to protect their planet – their home – from the invaders hell-bent on destroying them.

At the moment Tom was glad of the rain, as it hid the tears that fell.

Dai was not the first of them to fall, nor would he be the last, but they would do everything in their power to prevent any more from succumbing to the finality of death. It would not be easy, and there would be many struggles ahead, but Tom was certain that they would prevail. He would not let those who had given their lives for the cause - Uncle Scott, Jimmy, Rick, Dai- be in vain.

And he would start with his own family, he thought as he looked towards where Ben had vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo, cliffhanger ;P Hope you guys enjoyed. Thanks for taking the time to read :)

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted on fanfic.net]


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